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ST. CHARLES COUNTY (KMOV.com) – It looks like a sales tax increase to improve the grounds of the Gateway Arch is doomed in St. Charles County.

According to St. Charles County Councilman John White, the $160,000 cost to put the measure on the April 2nd ballot was not worth it and it would have been the only thing on the ballot.

“That’s a large amount of money for taxpayers to pay without insurance they’re going to get any return for it,” White stated.

Regional supporters of the plan are disappointed but say they’ll move forward, though without St. Charles County, 20 percent less money would be generated.

Ryan McLure, spokesman for City Arch River, the company heading up the Gateway Arch improvement project, said, “The project definitely moves forward. We will not scale it back.”

White said the measure would have made it to the ballot if someone came forward to pay for it up front, but the timeframe to get issues on the ballot has expired.

News 4’s Russell Kinsaul asked, if the tax proposal would have made it to the ballot, would the voters have approved it? St. Charles County Councilman Terry Hollander said, “The Great River folks would have to do an unbelievable job selling it for it pass.”

News 4 is talking to those behind the project to ask where they go from here.